NDR 2026: Singapore to broadly maintain current ethnic balance even as it welcomes newcomers

Singaporeans must feel that the Singapore they know and cherish will endure, and even as the country welcomes newcomers, Singapore will continue to broadly maintain its current ethnic balance, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. “Let me assure you: our multi-racial and multi-religious character will remain,” he said. In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 23), Mr Wong noted calls from businesses to ease foreign worker policies. He explained that work permit holders are already the largest group of foreign pass holders in Singapore, so even a modest easing of policies could lead to a significant increase in numbers. “That is not the path we want to take,” he said, adding that integration works both ways and that “newcomers must make every effort to fit in”. Get all the highlights of #NDR2026: https://cna.asia/4zxLKDH Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia